Effectiveness of Person-Centered Planning in Transition Services for Saudi Students with Autism Saudi Students

Abstract

This research aims at investigating how appropriate and useful PCP is considered in improving students with autism transition, in reference to school-settings in Saudi Arabia. Using non-equivalent control group pretest-post-test design, the study measures the transition readiness of students who were provided PCP as compared to those students who continued to receive traditional transition services. The findings showed that the participants of the experimental group have benefited much from the intervention: Measurements of the basic evaluations, emerging from the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI), demonstrated that the Pi students’ performance enhanced strikingly in employment, independent living, and socialization in the community. The results of the topically analysed semi-structured interviews in addition underlined the empowering effect of the students, the enhanced participation of the families, and the cultural sensitivity of the PCP. However, it has been evidenced from the study that irrespective of considerations of implementation logistics and the plan structure, PCP enshrined within the comprehensive study is an efficient tool that can easily be appropriated based on the cultural understanding of the situation. Hence, the need to scale up both the specificity and the inclusiveness of the transition approaches within the context of Saudi Arabia and other countries that need to adopt the PCP and other formalities within special education.